Bearing puller

ABSTRACT

A bearing puller having a threaded rod which is normally held in a given vertical position on a crossbar by a collet having spring fingers which may be loosened by turning a nut on the upper end of the collet.

United States Patent [191 Benson [451 Mar. 19, 1974 BEARING PULLER [76]v Inventor: David E. Benson, 615 W. Sixth St.,

Belvidere, 111. 61008 [22] Filed: June 1, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 258,755

[52] US. Cl. 29/261, 85/33 [51] Int. Cl B23p 19/04 [58] Field of Search29/256-266; 85/33 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,697,27312/1954 Clarke et a1. 29/261 Skeisvoll 85/33 Seidel 29/261 X PrimaryExaminer-Othell M. Simpson Assistant ExaminerHarold P. Smith, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wolfe, Hubbard, Leydig, Voit & Osann, Ltd.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A bearing puller having a threaded rod which is normallyheld in a given vertical position on a crossbar by a collet havingspring fingers which may be loosened by turning a nut on the upper endof the collet.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to abearing puller and, more particularly, to the type ofbearing puller having a threaded rod extending through the center of acrossbar which supports a pair of pivotable arms. In use, the arms hookbeneath the underside of a bearing while the rod is threaded downwardlythrough the crossbar to cause the bearing to be pulled from the shaft.In some of the prior pullers, a threaded collet normally is held closedaround the rod by a nut and may be opened to allow the rod to slidevertically for rough adjustment to engage the shaft. A bearing puller ofthis type is disclosed in Clarke et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,697,273.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention isto provide a novel puller of the above general character which issimpler in construction and easier and faster to operate than priorpullers.

A more specific object is to provide a bearing puller in which thecollet may be adjusted selectively to release the rod for roughadjustment in length without need of removing the collet from the pullerso that the rough adjustment can be made much more quickly and easilythan has been possible heretofore.

A more detailed object is to use the crossbar itself to hold the colletclosed around the rod so as to reduce the number of parts previouslyrequired for similar bearing pullers.

The invention also resides in the novel construction of the bearingpuller and specifically in the provision of a nut which coacts with thecrossbar to hold the collet upwardly within an opening so that aplurality of resilient fingers on the collet are cammed toward eachother by the sides of the opening to grip the rod against slidingvertically, the fingers being biased outwardly to spring apart andrelease the rod to slide vertically when the collet is pushed partiallyout of the opening.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of abearing puller embodying the novel features of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view takensubstantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2 but showingparts of the puller in moved positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in thedrawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is embodiedin a puller l especially suitable for use in removing a member such as abearing, gear or wheel from a shaft 13, the member herein being shown asa bearing 1 1. The puller includes a support in the form of an elongatedcrossbar 14 with arms 15 pivotally attached to opposite ends thereof andwith a threaded rod 16 extending vertically through the center of thecrossbar. Inwardly extending hooks 17 on the arms catch beneath thebearing while the rod engages the end of the shaft and, as the rod isturned to 2 push against the shaft, the arms pull the bearing from theshaft.

As shown in FIG. 1, the two arms 15 are mounted within generallyrectangular slots 19 formed in the opposite ends of the crossbar l4 andare held in the slots.

by pins 20 which are inserted through holes (not shown) in the upperends of the arms and through corresponding holes 21 formed through thecrossbar. Two pairs of the holes 21 are formed in each end of thecrossbar for selective adjustment of the distance between the arms toaccommodate bearings of different diameters.

A central opening 23 in the crossbar 14 telescopically receives the rod16 which extends downwardly from the crossbar to engage the end of theshaft 13. A pointed tip 24 on the lower end of the rod holds the rodagainst slipping on the shaft by embedding slightly in the shaft. Theupper end 25 of the rod is nut-shaped so that the entire rod may beturned with a wrench or the like in order to move the rod axially orvertically with respect to the crossbar.

Supporting the rod 16 within the opening 23 is a collet 26 with partsmovable between a closed position and an open position (see FIGS. 2 and3). In the closed position, internal threads 27 of the collet engage andgrip the external threads of the rod to support the rod against slidingaxially through the opening. A nut 29 tightened down on the colletnormally holds the latter closed but the nut may be loosened to allowthe collet to be opened so that the rod may be slid axially for anadjustment in the length of rod extending beyond the crossbar 14 toenable the arms 15 to be hooked beneath bearings of differentthicknesses.

In accordance with the primary aspect of the present invention, thecollet 26 is connected with the crossbar 14 and includes a plurality ofresilient fingers 30 adapted selectively to hold the rod 16 againstaxial sliding and to release the rod to allow the latter to be slidthrough the crossbar and adjusted for length without removing the colletfrom around the rod and without disconnecting the collet from thecrossbar. For these purposes, the fingers are spring-biased in adirection generally radially away from the axis of the rod but normallyare held together to grip the rod with the internal threads or threadedinner faces 27 of the fingers. When released, the fingers spring awayfrom the rod and the threads 27 disengage the threads of the rod toenable the rod to be slid axially for adjustment of the length of therod extending beyond the crossbar. With this unique engagement, thecollet need not be disconnected from the crossbar or from around the rodso that the axial adjustment in the length of the rod extending beyondthe crossbar may be made much more quickly and easily than has beenpossible heretofore.

In the present instance, the collet 26 is a generally cylindrical membertelescoped into the central opening 23 and including an axial bore 31which receives the rod 16. Normally, a threaded upper end portion 33 ofthe collet projects upwardly beyond the top surface of the crossbar (seeFIG. 2) and is held within the opening 23 by the nut 29. The latterincludes a radial flange 34 projecting outwardly from its upper end, aknurled outer surface being formed on the flange for hand gripping totighten and loosen the nut against the crossbar 14 so as to draw thecollet up into the opening and to release the colletfor movingdownwardly in the opening.

The lower end of the collet 26 includes the fingers 30, herein four,which are defined by four angularly spaced slots 35 extending throughthe walls of the collet to open into the axial bore 31. As shown in FIG.1, the slots 35 are elongated in a vertical direction extendinggenerally parallel to the central axis of the collet. The fingers thusare formed with lower free ends and with upper ends integrally connectedwith the upper end portion 33 approximately midway between the oppositeends of the collet.

Advantageously, the threads 27 are cut adjacent the lower ends of thefingers 30 in the inner faces thereof for interengaging with the threadson the rod 16 below the lower surface of the crossbar 14. Moreover, thefingers are spring-tempered with the free ends biased radially away fromthe central axis of the collet 26 to assume relaxed positions in whichthe fingers collectively flare away from the rod. When the fingers arerelaxed, the diameter of the axial bore 31 between the fingers isgreater than the diameter of the rod (see FIG. 3) so that therod mayslide freely through the collet. But, as shown in FIG. 2, the collet isnormally held upwardly within the opening 23 of the crossbar by the nut29 and, in this position, the fingers are cammed toward each other bythe sides of the opening 23 so that the threads 27 of the fingersinterengage with the threads on the rod. More particularly, the sides ofthe opening 23 slant inwardly toward the central axis thereof uponprogressing upwardly from the bottom surface of the crossbar 14. Theouter surfaces of the fingers also are formed on a slant and tapertowards each other upon progressing upwardly from the free ends of thefingers. Accordingly, the farther the collet is drawn into the opening23, the more the fingers are cammed toward each other to grip the rodand hold it against axial sliding.

With the exemplary puller 10, the length of the rod 16 projecting belowthe crossbar 14 can be adjusted quickly and easily and without having toremove the collet 26 from around the rod or off the crossbar. This maybe accomplished by unscrewing the nut 29 upwardly on the collet toloosen the nut from the crossbar. Then the collet may be pusheddownwardly by simply pushing the rod downwardly until the colletdislodges from opening far enough to allow the fingers to spring intotheir relaxed positions away from the rod. Thereafter, the rod can beadjusted as desired for length by sliding it axially in the desireddirection and, once in position, the nut again may be tightened down onthe crossbar to draw the collet upwardly into the opening 23. Thefingers 30 thus close on and grip the rod to lock the threads 27 againstthe threads on the rod so as to hold the rod preparatory to being turnedto pull the bearing 11 loose from the shaft 13 with the arms 15.

I claim as my invention:

1. A puller for removing a member from a shaft and including a support,two arms having upper ends mounted pivotally on said support and havinghooked lower ends for catching under the member, a threaded rodextending through an opening in the support, a collet telescoped oversaid rod and into said opening, a plurality of spring fingers integrallyformed with the lower end of said collet and extending downwardly fromthe underside of said support, said fingers having threaded inner facesand being biased toward relaxed positions spaced from engagement withsaid rod, and means for pulling said collet upwardly into said openingwhereby said fingers are constrained against said rod, said means beingmovable to permit said collet to be lowered within said opening torelease the fingers to spring into said relaxed positions to enable therod to be slid axially within said collet to adjust the length of therod extending beyond the support.

2. A puller as defined by claim 1 wherein the upper end of said colletprotrudes from the upper surface of said support and is externallythreaded, said means including a nut normally threaded on the upper endof said collet and engaging the upper surface of the support to hold thecollet upwardly within said opening with the sides thereof camming thefingers together so that the inner faces threadably engage the rod.

3. A puller for removing a member from a shaft and including anelongated cross bar with a central opening, two arms having upper endsmounted pivotally at opposite ends of said crossbar and having hookedlower ends for catching under the member, a threaded rod extendingthrough said opening, a collet telescoped over said rod and into saidopening and including an externally threaded upper end extendingupwardly beyond the upper surface of the crossbar, a plurality of springfingers integrally formed with the lower end of said collet andextending downwardly beyond the lower surface of the crossbar, saidfingers having threaded inner faces and being prestressed to assumerelaxed positions collectively flaring away from the rod, and a nutnormally threaded on the upper end of the collet and engaging the uppersurface of the crossbar to hold the collet upwardly within said openingwith the sides thereof camming the fingers together so that the innerfaces threadably engage the rod to support the latter on the crossbar,said nut being adapted to be loosened on yond the crossbar.

1. A puller for removing a member from a shaft and including a support,two arms having upper ends mounted pivotally on said support and havinghooked lower ends for catching under the member, a threaded rodextending through an opening in the support, a collet telescoped oversaid rod and into said opening, a plurality of spring fingers integrallyformed with the lower end of said collet and extending downwardly fromthe underside of said support, said fingers having threaded inner facesand being biased toward relaxed positions spaced from engagement withsaid rod, and means for pulling said collet upwardly into said openingwhereby said fingers are constrained against said rod, said means beingmovable to permit said collet to be lowered within said opening torelease the fingers to spring into said relaxed positions to enable therod to be slid axially within said collet to adjust the length of therod extending beyond the support.
 2. A puller as defined by claim 1wherein the upper end of said collet protrudes from the upper surface ofsaid support and is externally threaded, said means including a nutnormally threaded on the upper end of said collet and engaging the uppersurface of the support to hold the collet upwardly within said openingwith the sides thereof camming the fingers together so that the innerfaces threadably engage the rod.
 3. A puller for removing a member froma shaft and including an elongated cross bar with a central opening, twoarms having upper ends mounted pivotally at opposite ends of saidcrossbar and having hooked lower ends for catching under the member, athreaded rod extending through said opening, a collet telescoped oversaid rod and into said opening and including an externally threadedupper end extending upwardly beyond the upper surface of the crossbar, aplurality of spring fingers integrally formed wIth the lower end of saidcollet and extending downwardly beyond the lower surface of thecrossbar, said fingers having threaded inner faces and being prestressedto assume relaxed positions collectively flaring away from the rod, anda nut normally threaded on the upper end of the collet and engaging theupper surface of the crossbar to hold the collet upwardly within saidopening with the sides thereof camming the fingers together so that theinner faces threadably engage the rod to support the latter on thecrossbar, said nut being adapted to be loosened on the collet to freesaid collet to slide vertically in the opening and free said fingers tospring into said relaxed positions to enable the rod to be slidvertically through the collet to adjust the length of the rod extendingbeyond the crossbar.